Motor vehicle ignition key, motor vehicle navigation device, motor vehicle system, and methods

Abstract

What is described is a motor vehicle ignition key and a method including a movement sensor for detecting the movement of the motor vehicle ignition key, a motor vehicle navigation device, and a method including a calculator for calculating a driving route in dependence of movement data, and a motor vehicle system and a method including a motor vehicle ignition key and a motor vehicle controller.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 09013367.9 which was filed on Oct. 22, 2009, and is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.[0002]The present invention relates to a motor vehicle ignition key, a motor vehicle navigation device, a motor vehicle system, and methods that may be used in connection with a motor vehicle.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]In today's world, mobility is an important factor. Therefore, most people have a motor vehicle of their own. Each motor vehicle typically has one or more motor vehicle ignition keys associated with the motor vehicle. There are different embodiments of motor vehicle ignition keys. While motor vehicle ignition keys used to consist, in former times, only of a key bit with a key body, some of them nowadays have complex electronic circuits. Immobilizers in modern motor vehicles constituted a first step toward integrating electronics into a motor vehicle i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019]An advantage of the present invention therefore is that due to the integration of a movement sensor into a motor vehicle key, the movements of the motor vehicle key and, thus, the movements of the user may be recorded without the user having to carry around an additional device. A further advantage is that the user does not need to attach the motor vehicle key to his / her body for logging his / her movement data, such as with pulse sensors, for example, but may wear it loosely on the body, for example in a trouser pocket.

[0020]A further aspect of the present invention is based on the finding that a user may be better motivated to perform sportive activities when a motor vehicle navigation device has an interface for receiving movement data of a motor vehicle user, said data being detected by a sensor worn on the body, said motor vehicle navigation device further comprising a means for calculating a driving route while taking into account the movement data. Taking into account the movement data in the calculation of the driving route enables improved support—which, in particular, involves little effort and is possibly unnoticeable for the motor vehicle user—to integrate sportive activities into one's daily routine, and enables improved motivation to perform sportive activities.

[0021]Thus, a further advantage of the present invention is the fact that on the basis of a driving route being calculated while taking into account the movement data of the motor vehicle user, the motor vehicle user is motivated to perform sportive activities that may be integrated into the user's everyday life.

[0022]A further aspect of the present invention is based on the finding that the everyday movements of a user may be better recorded and that the user may be better motivated to perform sportive activities when a motor vehicle system comprises a motor vehicle ignition key and a motor vehicle controller, the motor vehicle ignition key comprising a movement sensor for detecting a movement of the motor vehicle ignition key and for obtaining movement data from the movement detected, and a memory for recording the movement data obtained, and a first interface for outputting the movement data to the motor vehicle controller, and the motor vehicle controller being associated with the motor vehicle key and comprising a second interface for receiving the movement data and for performing motor vehicle control tasks. Starting from the assumption that a user carries around the motor vehicle ignition key in his / her everyday movements, improved logging of the everyday movements of the user is enabled, in addition, since the motor vehicle controller may perform control tasks, improved integration of sportive activities into the everyday movements of the user is enabled.

[0023]A further advantage of the present invention therefore consists in the fact that when a motor vehicle user' movements are recorded and are used by a motor vehicle controller to perform control tasks, the motor vehicle controller can support the motor vehicle user in integrating sportive activities in his / her everyday movements, and can provide the motor vehicle user with feedback about his / her sportive activities.

Problems solved by technology

While motor vehicle ignition keys used to consist, in former times, only of a key bit with a key body, some of them nowadays have complex electronic circuits.

Motor vehicle navigation devices increasingly replace the reading of maps, which is awkward.

Even though modern man longs for a healthy and well-trained body, realization of such good intentions fails mostly because of the laziness or indolence threshold to be overcome (“one's weaker self”).

However, said systems do not provide any information about the distance traveled.

They have the disadvantage, among other things, that they are imprecise and do not take into account the variations in the step length.

A disadvantage of all of these devices is that they are designed for passionate amateur or competitive athletes.

A further disadvantage is that particularly people who are not enthusiastic about sports hardly have any interest in such additional products, and that consequently, they do not have any information about their everyday movements.

Images